Hollywood sign unveiled after major makeover

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The refurbished Hollywood sign was presented in all its freshly painted glory on Tuesday after its biggest makeover in 35 years, in time for 90th birthday celebrations next year.

Some 360 gallons (1,362 litres) of fresh bright white paint was applied over the last two months to the Tinseltown icon, which sits atop Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills north of Los Angeles.

"It's our Statue of Liberty, it's our Golden Gate... but it's more than that it's Hollywood, which is hope," said Mr Tom LaBonge, LA city council member for Hollywood.

"The Hollywood sign, there's nothing like it in the world." "It puts a bright face on the icon of the southern California lifestyle," added Mr Chris Baumgart, chairman of the non-profit Hollywood Sign Trust that manages the icon, at a press conference staged below the landmark.